Lhakpa Quendren

Sarpang—Kinley Penjor tightens his robe around his waist as he prepares to descend the cliff where the wreckage of his four teachers and their car lies more than 300 metres below. Joining the search and rescue team on the afternoon of January 14, Kinley Penjor  said he cannot leave without retrieving the bodies of his former teachers, who lost their lives in the car accident.

“It is a big loss. They were all good teachers who cared their students,” he said recalling how one of the victims guided him through his monastic education. “Lopon was was like a parent to me. He made sure I studied, and I am grateful to him for that.”

Kinley Penjor, along with three other monks, all former students of the victims who were studying in Zhemgang, rushed to Gelephu upon receiving news of the accident. “I will return only after the 49-day post-death ritual,” he said.

While his friends join the team at Tali Dratshang for prayers, Kinley Penjor stayed at the scene, spending nights in his Bolero pickup. “I used to chat with my Lopons every evening.”

The victims were 42-year-old Meshe Lam Tashi from Degala, 39-year-old Nyerpa Nima Dorji from Goling, 42-year-old Drungchhen Tshewang Jamtsho from Tali, all from Zhemgang, and 39-year-old Tshering Wangda from Dawakha in Paro, the caretaker of Gyenyen Lhakhang in Gelephu.

The accident

The incident occurred at Jantabir, 3km towards Gelephu from Jigmechhoeling, along the Gelephu-Zhemgang highway, at 2:57am on January 13. The victims were returning to Gelephu after attending an annual ritual at Bartsham Ka village in Jigmechhoeling the previous night.

A local resident of Tormey village, located on the opposite side of the scene, alerted his relative in Jigmechhoeling after hearing a rumbling noise.  He then informed the Gup at around 4:20 am. The accident occurred on a steep cliff along the road, which actually has more space at the roadside for the vehicle to maneuver. Drungchhen Tshewang Jamtsho, affectionately known as Lopon Nada, was driving his newly purchased Creta car when the accident happened.

According to the ritual host, the victims left the home around 2 am after participating in the dance until 11 pm. While the host claims the driver rested for about two hours before departing, others say only Meshe Lam and Nyerpa slept. Some suspect drink driving as the cause of the accident.

Jantabir is known to be prone to accidents. The difficult terrain has made some past efforts to recover bodies unsuccessful, while remains and parts of vehicles can still be found down the slope, according to local residents.

Samkhar Tshogpa Neten said that about 10 accident-related deaths have occurred in recent years. “We cannot walk alone in this area due to the thick fog, which makes it difficult for both travelers and pedestrians,” he said.

Search and retrieval operations

After three days of continuous search and recovery operations, the bodies were retrieved yesterday evening. The first body (Nyerpa) reached the roadside at 11:10 am, followed by Drungchhen at 12:52 pm. The remaining two bodies, the caretaker and Meshe Lam, were retrieved from difficult terrain at 5:34 pm and 6:07 pm, after receiving additional manpower, including 13 police, nine army personnel, 11 Desuups, and six locals.

Gelephu’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Colonel Namgay, who was at the scene throughout the operation, explained that the difficult terrain hampered the efforts. “The third body was located 50 meters away, but the terrain made it difficult to reach the second point,” he said.

The two bodies, one stuck on the cliff and the other below with no accessible path, were recovered using rappelling. The bodies were located using a drone during the first two days of the search and rescue operation, after which rappelling techniques were used in an attempt to retrieve them. However, the operation had to be discontinued after almost three hours as the 200-metre climbing rope could not reach the wreckage location.